Dental-floss holder.



F. H. STICKLER.

DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED 0m. 5. l9l6.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917 g! X k FRANK H. STICKLER, F AKRON, .OI-IIO.

DENTAL-FLOSS HOLDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. STIOKLER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron,--in the county ofSummit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Dental-Floss Holders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for holding dentalfloss in position to be employed for clearing the spaces between teethfrom obstructions, and at the same timeprotect'ing the bolt or ball offloss,

and exposing only the'portion which is actually in use.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims; and in thedrawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention Figure1 is a side elevation of the improved device;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the lower portion in section onthe line 33 of Fig. 2.

The improved device comprises a receptacle for the bolt or reel of thefloss, and a holder for the portion of the flosswhich is to be used anddetachably connected to the receptacle. The receptacle is represented asa whole at 10 and open at one end and internally threaded at the openend as shown in Fig. 3. The receptacle 10 is preferably provided at itsclosed end with a ring 11, to enable the implement to be suspended whennot in use. The body 10 is preferably provided with flattened portions12 at its opposite sides to enable the body to be more easily graspedand at the same 5 time adapted to receive advertising matter and thelike. Dental floss is usually furnished in a mass, wound into a circularelongated roll, represented conventionally at 13, and the interior ofthe-body 10 corresponds in size to-the diameter of the roll of floss, sothat the latter will closely within the receptacle.

The holder member of the improved de-- vice comprises a base portion 14having an externally threaded plug 1 1' to engage the threaded terminalof the receptacle as shown in Fig; 3. Extending from the base portion 14are arms 15, spaced apart andeach pro- Vided with an upwardlyopenmgcleft or ment.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. jljl, 1911 7.,Application filed October 5, 1916. Serial No. 123,920.

notch 13, and surrounded by an annular channel ndicated at 17 adjacentto the cleft. The main portion 14 of the holder corresponds in diameterto the receptacle 10, as

shown at 18 and depending from the por-' j tion 18 -of the holder aretension lips 19 which bear against the adjacent sides of the receptacle10 and extend over a portion of the upper end of the same, as shown.Formed through the plug portion 14 of the holder is a passage 20 for thefloss, the passage preferably extending obliquely to the longitudinalaxis of the plug and opening at one end into the interior of thereceptacle and at the other end into the space between the lower end ofthe holder and the upper end of the receptacle.

When the device is. to be used, a few inches of the floss is withdrawnfrom the roll 13, and threaded through the passage 20, and thencecarried upwardly and through one of the clefts 16 and thence woundaround the adjacent channel 17 once or more and then carried across thespace between the members 15 and through the cleft 16 of the othermember 15, thence wound one or more times around the adjacent channel 17and thence forced between the adjacent tension lip 19 and the body 10,as indicated in Fig. 3.

The portion of the floss which extends between the members 15 may bestretched relatively tight, and held in its strained position by thewindings in the channel 17, as will be obvious.

By this means a device is produced for supporting a portion of the flossin convenient position for use between the teeth, which may thus befreed from obstructions or deposits of foreign matter, and the teethmaintained in a sanitary condition.

The portion of the floss which is to be used being stretched relativelytight, will render this portion of the floss very sensitive to anyirregularities in the crevices between the teeth upon which it is beingused, and will thus quickly indicate to the user the fact of suchirregularities and notify the person that the teeth need the attentionof a floss from contamination or disarrange- Preferably the terminals ofthe lips 19 are formed with their inner faces curved slightly outward,as shown, to facilitate the entrance of the floss.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. Adevice of the class described comprising a receptacle open at one endwith a flat margin surrounding holder including arms in spaced relationand a plug engaging in the opening of the receptacle and having alateral shoulder corresponding to the flat margin of the receptacle,said arms having lips extending in advance of the shoulder with theinner faces of the lips diverging'away from the receptacle to formconverging recesses, said plug having a guideway therethrough for dentalfloss and terminating at its outer end the opening a I at the junctureof the body and the holder andits plug, whereby a tension is produced inthe out-going floss when the plug is inserted and another tension meansprovided by the depending lips for the outer terminal 2. A device of theclass described comprising a receptacle for dental floss, a holder fordental floss including arms in spaced relation and having means forretaining a portion of the floss stretched between them, and lipsdepending from the holder at opposite sides of the receptacle with theirinner faces converging toward the body of the holder to form contractedrecesses in which the dental floss is adapted to be inserted andoperating as tension devices.

In testimony whereof IafiiX my signature.

FRANK H. STICKLER. [1,. s]

